/ ˈsɪstəli; NAmE / noun
( medical ) the part of the heart's rhythm when the heart pumps blood
—compare diastole
► sys·tol·ic / ˌsɪsˈtɒlɪk; NAmE -ˈtɑːl-/ adjective
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: via late Latin from Greek sustolē , from sustellein to contract.